- Overweight dog
Keep your dog at a normal weight to reduce its chances of developing pancreatitis. Dr. Mike Richards, DVM, advises that high-fat diets seem to raise the risk of pancreatitis because they stress the pancreas' enzymatic production.
Even if your dog weighs what he should and is eating a low- to medium-fat diet, as little as one fatty meal may trigger a pancreatitis attack. Withhold the holiday leftovers.
Feed your pet four or five small meals a day instead of a single large one. Start a five-meal feeding schedule and give your dog small amounts of homemade food or premium pet food in the morning, mid-day and evening with snacks in the mid-afternoon and evening. Your dog's pancreas will benefit from having less work to do.
Feed a raw food diet to reduce pancreatic stress even further. According to "The Holistic Dog Book," raw foods contain plenty of enzymes to enhance their digestibility. - Chamomile
Get advice form a holistic veterinarian before treating your dog with herbs.
Use the herbs chamomile, dandelion, comfrey, alfalfa, and fennel to support your dog's pancreas. Administer the herbs as tea or a tincture to maximize their absorption. (Your dog's digestive tract is very short, and fresh or powdered dried herbs would pass through it without being completely digested.)
Administer the herbs in small doses several times a day. The Herbal Encyclopedia recommends treating your dog with herbs for two weeks, then stopping the treatment for a week. Watch your pet carefully in the "off week" to see if her system is functioning normally on its own. - Ask your vet about adding prescription powdered pancreatic enzyme to your dog's food. Made from whole raw pig pancreas, these preparations supply digestive enzymes like protease, lipase and amylase. 15 to 20 minutes before feeding, either give your dog two to three tablets or thoroughly mix 3/4 to 1 tsp. of powder with wet food to allow enzyme activation.
Diet for Pancreatic Support
Herbal Pancreatic Support
Enzymatic Pancreatic Support
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